I had no idea that this is the 2nd book in the series. I totally missed out on book one “In Search Of A Prince” and I do plan to read the 1st book in the series. This is an easy quick read that is entertaining, inspirational, forgiveness, redemption, wonderful characters, romantic, realistic and a great plot. Prince Ekon lost everything when he tried to dethrone Queen Brielle at the request of his half-sister. Iris is a fashion aficionado and best friend of Queen Brielle. In ordered for Prince Ekon to redeem himself he has to work with Iris for free as her business consultant. Iris is attracted to Ekon, but he betrayed her friend. Before any harm came to the Queen Ekon came forward. I loved the Christian based theme and the journey that Ekon and Iris took as they both discovered their feelings.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers and I am leaving my review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers.

"Practice patience. Stay in the moment. Don't jump ahead in life and miss the now."

I love books about royals and I love books with a good redemption story....and this newest by Toni Shiloh has both! On a beautiful tropical island country off the coast of Western Africa, a bright and bubbly American fashion designer meets a spoiled, selfish former Etikun prince with nothing left to his name...and they butt heads while working together to start a fashion house and learn about grace, mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love.

I loved Iris' completely idealistic, romantic first person voice. She was over the top, yes, but so full of life and passion and empathy. Ekon's honest and raw first person voice started out arrogant, self-centered, and unyielding but slowly morphed to reveal his true self - that sweet, endearing, vulnerable, noble core which made him a prince through and through. The faith thread was strong and Ekon's redemption is one to be remembered. Catching up with Bri and Mori was also fun.

Iris and Ekon's story will make you weep tears of heartbreak and shout for joy at God's faithfulness and love. I received the book from the publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Iris Blakely is best friends with queen of the African island country Oloro Ille and is starting a clothing line to help the citizens rise above poverty. She finds out that Ekon Diallo has been assigned to be her business consultant by the elders of the country. He's one of the ones who tried to dethrone the queen.

The story goes back and forth between Iris and Ekon describing their feelings. The storyline was good but I found myself skimming through parts of it because it seemed to be repeats of previous parts of the book. There seemed to be more introspective conversation than actual story. The actual story itself was good. And of course they found love in the end.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers via Net Galley for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

I didn't realize that this is book 2 in a series but I think there was enough explanation in the book that it wasn't a problem. I enjoyed the story overall. I wasn't quite sure what to think of Ekon. On the one hand he seemed pretty self-assured but then he constantly bowed to his father's wishes as well as his sister. How many other people did he follow around? Iris was already deeply in crush with him before his downfall so I could see why she would fight with her feelings for him. His father is a piece of work. Really a horrible person. I am glad that Ekon could have a much happier life than his father did. And Ekon had a huge growth arc through the story. Both of them grow but Ekon undergoes big changes.
I don't think I've read a romance set in Africa before so that was new for me. The story itself is fairly predictable but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. There were a couple surprises in there though.
If you aren't a fan of Christian lit, this is probably not a good fit for you. The themes are strong all through the book.
I liked that where there were friendships, they were strong and supportive. And I liked Iris's family and their support.

Christian Lit: Heavy Christian themes through out the story.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: no
I received a complimentary ARC through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

Toni Shiloh has created a fascinating and beautiful African island of Ọlọrọ Ilé where this book and her previous royal fairy-tale book, In Search of a Prince, are set.

This beautiful story focuses on Iris, Queen Bri's best friend, and her brother-in-law, Ekon.

Iris really gets her chance to shine using her talents to create a clothing line that will assist the people of Ọlọrọ Ilé. Which I thought was really cool!

Ekon is broken in more ways than just spiritually and doesn't think he needs God. Both Iris and God have something to say about that.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved Iris, and how giving and caring she was to everyone she met. Ekon reminded me of a stubborn child who doesn't want to do what's right even though he knows he should. The island that Ms. Shiloh has created is beautiful and makes you just want to move there.

The faith thread was woven in perfectly! It wasn't too heavy or too blase.

This book can stand on its own but I recommend you read the first book, In Search of a Prince.



I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Win a Prince was a captivating story of redemption. This novel is a wonderful sequel to In Search of a Prince. Iris and Ekon were secondary characters in the first book, so having read that story will make this one even more meaningful. However, I do think that you could probably pick this book up and jump into the overall storyline, knowing that Ekon was part of events in book one that were not above board.

As the story began, Ekon was definitely a snobbish character who felt entitled to his life of luxury and privilege that he had long enjoyed. He quickly lost everything that mattered to him, the things that he thought made him important. It was interesting to watch as Ekon began to have his eyes opened regarding the way most people lived and began to learn that there might be more to life than status and material possession.

Iris was such a sweet and caring character, who was very drawn to Ekon. She battled the attraction to him, knowing that he was not a believer, yet it was a big struggle for her. I loved the way these two connected with each other even as they both, at times, worked to resist anything more growing between them.

This story had a wonderful redemption arc. Ekon’s emotional and spiritual journey was beautiful and he grew so much as the story progressed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ekon has spent all his life trying to live up to his father's expectations - and failing. When an attempt to help his half-sister lands him with community service and mandatory unpaid work as a consultant for the new company Iris is trying to start, he struggles to find his place in a world so far below all he'd ever known. And when his father dismantles what was left of his life, piece by piece, only Iris' help and encouragement keeps his head above water. Iris has found Ekon attractive ever since she first saw him as her best friend's potential suitor, and rejoiced when Bri chose someone else. But having to work with him shows her Ekon's entitled side - and anyway, he's not a Christian. As Ekon works to find his position in a world turned upside down, Iris has to learn to wait for God instead of rushing ahead into what she wants. Can the pair find happiness on the other side of disaster?

Though I gather that Bri found her happily ever after in a previous book, I haven't read it yet - though I hope to in future. However, I didn't feel that I was missing any important parts of this story, which was good. What I did find was a story of a man who needs to hit rock bottom to realise how the rest of the world lives, both the good and the bad, and to find his own place in it. This may sound strange - and I'm trying to avoid spoilers - but I think that different parts with his father were respectively my favourite and least favourite. Having grown up in a happy, loving family, I can't imagine that level of dysfunction, and I really felt for Ekon (and empathised with Iris). However, watching Ekon gradually finding his feet was satisfying, and I also loved the way that Iris encouraged him. All in all, a great story and I definitely hope to read more by the author in future. Highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Gah!! I loved Iris in In Search of a Prince. But wow is she perfect as the heroine of her own story. Such compassion and intuition when it comes to the broken and disgraced Ekon Diallo. And what a wonderful redemption story for this unlikely hero. Chemistry, sweetness, and so much more fill the pages of their tender romance.

Ms. Shiloh has taken the enchanting island she created for Queen Bri and made it a true home for Iris and Ekon as they discover where they belong and with whom. I didn’t think she could surpass ISOAP, but she definitely did with this one.

To Win A Prince by Toni Shiloh is the continuation of Iris’ story after In Search of A Prince. What a beautiful, faith-filled, heartwarming story filled with beautiful redemptive salvation in the Lord. This story will captivate your heart and will stay with you for a long time. If you love royalty reads, you will love this story. 5 stars!

This story follows Iris, Bri’s best friend from the first book, who is a fashion aficionado and has started her business where the goal is to clothe the world in sustainable fashion using the resources and skills of Oloro Ile. She wants to give the Oloran woman a chance to leave poverty behind and provide for their families. Iris soon realizes Ekon Diallo, a prince who has his royal title stripped from him due to his crimes against the queen, has to be her new business consultant. Ekon soon realizes being a “commoner” isn’t so bad and Iris struggles through her conflicted feelings for him.

Ekon has never known a life other than the royal lifestyle he grew up in. So when he is exiled from his royal family and has to learn how to be self-sufficient, he struggles to adjust. He was very arrogant and prideful at the beginning of the story – but all he knew in his life was a life of entitlement and royalty. He lost everything in his life he knew, but he soon realizes what is most important in life as he works with Iris. I loved his character so much because he went on a beautiful redemptive journey through Christ.

Iris is a beautiful example of a strong Christian woman who is caring and loyal. She was so conflicted in her emotions towards Ekon, prayed to God about the entire situation throughout the story, as Ekon was not a believer, and she wasn’t sure what God wanted her to do. I love her personality and seeing her as a business owner as well. She gave Ekon the second chance he deserved – what an amazing character.
Toni sure knows how to write in depth, beautiful characters that we can connect with. I also love the way she wrote faith in this series – the prayer, scriptures and firm belief in the Lord are top tier. We directly see the redemption of Jesus in this story and a true transformation.

The culture in this story was also phenomenal! I can visualize the setting of Oloro Ille so easily and I loved the fashion details throughout the story.

Overall, this story was beautiful, the ending packs such an emotional punch and will stay with me for such a long time. Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to honestly read and review. I will be discussing this book in a full video review on my YouTube channel BookLoverAmanda and will update my review with the link as soon as its posted.

A Fresh and Sweet Royal Rom-Com

From the beautiful covers to the intriguing premises, I’ve been drawn to Toni Shiloh’s contemporary royal romances. Her winning writing style keeps you engaged, and whispers of mystery will have you flying through the pages.

I really liked Iris’s character in the prequel, In Search of a Prince, so I was excited to read her story. As a heroine, she does not disappoint. She’s fun and bubbly with a big heart and lots of ambition. Her heart for people leaps off the page and is so endearing. She’s definitely the type of character you’d want to spend a day with shopping and chatting over coffee. In the beginning, I wasn’t very sure about Ekon. He’s very bitter about his circumstances, and he is the definition of entitled. Yet as the story progresses, his character changes. He begins to see things from a different perspective, softening him and maturing him. It was fun getting to revisit characters from the previous book, like Brielle and Tomori.

The setting of this book is described so vividly that the scents of ocean air and the delectable foods mentioned throughout will practically fill your senses as you read. I loved getting to immerse myself in a new culture through this book. Reading about Iris’s and Ekon’s respective passions for fashion and jewelry design was fun, as well.

If you love sweet Christian romance with a royal twist, then you must read To Win a Prince.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another charming romance for anyone that is a fan of The Princess Diaries movies, not to be missed.

After her best friend became Queen of an African nation, Iris Blakely decides to stay and help the citizens of the country by starting a sustainable clothing company. Iris has been asked to bring on Ekon Diallo, the man who betrayed her best friend, to work with her at her company. Ekon has been stripped of his title as prince after trying to overthrow Brie before she could become Queen. Tensions are high as Ekon and Iris struggle to work together; they realize they are completely different people from different worlds but their hearts might just be wanting the same thing.

After reading the first book in this series, In Search of a Prince, I couldn’t wait for more from this world. The story of Brie reminded me of The Princess Diaries, which I loved and was eager to see how the story of Iris held up. I may have had my expectations set a little too high with this one because I felt a little let down. My biggest problem was the immediate attraction between the characters. I enjoy a fun rom-com but the romance here was just too quick after he had tried to betray her best friend. Toni Shiloh is a great writer and I enjoy her stories, just with less eye-rolling at such early attractions. If that hadn’t turned me off so early, I would have loved every part of the book. If that is something you can look past, then this will be a thoroughly enjoyable book. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy contemporary romance with characters that are instantly attracted to each other.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Toni Shiloh delivers a beautiful tale of redemption in To Win A Prince. Refreshingly loaded with spiritual truth, character self-reflection, and rewarding romance, this love story between Iris and Ekon kept me on my toes about what to expect and I enjoyed every second! I loved book one with its Princess Diaries vibe but this one is possibly even better. I love Ekon’s transformation in this book and how Iris helped him get there. How do you win a prince? By being a true friend and helping him figure out who he really is after he loses everything. 5 stars for Toni Shiloh! 100% recommended.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.. My opinions are my own and I was not asked to leave a positive review.

Title: To Win a Prince
Author: Toni Shiloh
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"To Win a Prince" by Toni Shiloh" Toni Shiloh

My Assessment:

"To Win a Prince" was an incredible story of faith and redemption read that featured Iris Blakely and Ekon. Diallo. The story had some interesting characters that kept your attention, turning the pages to see what was coming next. It was hard seeing how Ekon lost his title as prince and had to do community service for his transgressions; however, it all came out well for him in the end in finding out about God making him a better man. Also, finding someone else who was very important. Be prepared for a story with some twists and turns you may not see until the end. To get this well-written story and how this author brings it all out...pick up the read and get a 'sweet romance, humor, religion, and realism.'

Thank you, Bethany House and NetGalley, for the complimentary e-book.

I always love digging into one of Toni Shiloh’s books. Once again, she transports us to the lovely island of Ọlọrọ Ilé where we get the chance to reconnect with characters from the first book in this series. The main character Iris tickled me from the start! Her bubbly personality poured from the page. But the one who intrigued me the most was Elon. He went through such a huge change, from his material circumstances being stripped from him to discovering what his true identity was. I loved seeing this transformation and the reminder of our own true worth.

I was provided with an Advanced Reader copy, but all opinions are my own!

Fans of the first book in this series (_In Search of a Prince_) will thoroughly enjoy returning to Oloro Ile in this second book, _To Win A Prince_, and two characters we met in varying degrees there--the queen's best friend, Iris, and a potential suitor, Ekon.

For once in my life :D, I did read book 1 first, and defo recommend doing so before jumping into book 2. Spoilers for it abound otherwise, and context is crucial to fully enjoy this read.

I always enjoy reading about other cultures, culture shock and how others experience it (having experienced it a fair bit myself over the years), and the fashion industry. Shiloh provides a clean, God-centered alternative to books/shows like _The Devil Wears Prada_, which has so much promise but equally as much problematic, for me at least, content). I loved the front-row seat to all things runway related here!

Book 1 is, of the two, my favorite; I felt the editing a bit tighter and the active voice more prevalent. But, this is still a highly satisfying read, with twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A fabulous follow-up to author Toni Shiloh's novel In Search of a Prince. As a longtime fan of Toni Shiloh's contemporary romances, I knew I would not be disappointed with this novel.

In this modern-day royal fairy tale set on the breathtaking African island of Ọlọrọ Ilé, Iris Blakely, the African queen's best friend, gets her chance to shine. Readers were also introduced to Prince Ekon in the previous novel, with his failed plot to dethrone the new African queen. Even if you haven't read In Search of a Prince, this novel can easily be read as a standalone.

Author Toni Shiloh creates a beautiful tale of faith, love, and redemption that readers will be sure to enjoy. She continues to bring a much-needed diversity to Christian fiction. Toni Shiloh always incorporates faith messages authentically into her storylines and reminds us of God’s faithfulness and to always trust in Him.

To Win a Prince is highly recommended for readers of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy books by authors such as Becky Wade, Denise Hunter, and Melissa Tagg.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I didn’t really like Ekon Diallo when I read In Search of a Prince. I didn’t like him at the beginning of To Win a Prince. I wasn’t really sure I liked Iris Blakely very much either. I know she was Brielle’s best friend, but she seemed so flighty and not serious.
The author took me from those feelings to respect and admiration for both Iris and Ekon.
To Win a Prince is a beautiful story of growth, redemption and love.
I am so glad I kept reading and got to know the hearts of these characters. I love the values this book promotes. Love and the need we all have for it are a big part of the story along with forgiveness and second chances.
I kind of expected more issues from Matt, the marketing head at Aso. I didn’t mind so much when it wasn’t there because there was plenty of other factors at play in the story.
I am grateful that Baker House Publishers approved my NetGalley request to review To Win a Prince. I recommend the book to all who love a redemption story and romance.

I LOVED THIS.

Iris and Ekon are the cutest pairing and I love how they complement each other.
The faith content was excellent as per usual for Toni Shiloh.

I'm so looking forward to reading whatever Toni Shiloh comes out with next. She's become an auto-buy author for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for my review copy.

I read the first book In Search of a Prince and enjoyed it. We got to meet both Iris and Ekon in that book. Now they have their own story and I must say I enjoyed this book even more. Iris has started her fashion business to help locals get out of poverty and has big plans. Ekon has been sentenced to do community service which includes helping as a business consultant for Iris’s new business.

Right from the start we can see Iris is struggling with her attraction to Ekon who is a non believer. Which is partly due to how he was raised. We will see her struggle because she doesn’t want to be unequally yoked but she still has feelings for Ekon. Ekon also has feelings but feels unworthy for a different reason. I won’t go into to much as it is for the reader to see what happens. But we do see what many christians struggle with.

We also see how Ekon’s father disowns him early in the book and how it also affects him. I disliked his father and found him to be extremely tough and uncaring. We do find out more about him and his story which will shed light on the situation. We also see a lot of growth in both characters. The book flows well and is in the first person with each chapter the POV of either Heroine or Hero which helps get to know them better.

I like how their isn’t an easy fix. So many books will just have the non christian character go to church and be converted. That doesn’t instantly happen and we see a real struggle. As it is CCR we know their is a happy ending so am not giving anything away in saying this. I can see at least one more character I want to have his own personal story but time will tell.

If you enjoyed In Search of a Prince you will see cross over characters and I am sure you will not be disappointed. One of my top reads for the year.

To Win a Prince is a marvelous sequel to In Search of a Prince. Ms Shiloh has woven a marvelous continuation of her story from an exotic African island. The characters in this story are well developed and feel real-to-life. Prince Ekon is a returning character from the previous book, and I enjoyed reading about him, getting to know more of his personality, and watching how he changed throughout the story. Iris is such a lovely and bubbly part of the story, and I appreciate how she showed real friendship, kindness, and genuine Christlikeness through the story. No one is perfect in this story, and I appreciate the realness and authenticity portrayed. It was well-written, well-plotted, and enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet romantic story with meat and depth to the storyline. It isn’t a fairytale, but it does have a beautiful new Queen, a best friend fashion-designer, a charity business, and a displaced former Prince.